Apparatus for flight path correction of flying bodies

Abstract

An apparatus for flight path correction of flying bodies, such as projectiles, rockets and the like, with the aid of a laser guide beam, wherein the course of the respective flying body is determined and processed in a measuring apparatus associated with the firing apparatus and containing an optical receiving detector in order to obtain an appropriate correction signal, and wherein the correction signal is then transmitted, through encoding of the laser guide beam, to a receiving apparatus disposed in the tail portion of the flying body. To determine the course of the flying body in a simple manner, both an optical light source for producing a light beam and an optical receiving detector are disposed on the measuring apparatus, and triple reflector or mirror elements, that reflect the incident light beam back in its initial direction independently of the respective angle of incidence, are disposed on the bottom of the flying body or at the ends of the guiding mechanism of the flying body. In rotating flying bodies, the triple mirror elements are preferably distributed at irregular intervals in a circle, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the flying body. This arrangement makes it possible to use the signals reflected by the triple mirror elements to determine the roll position of the respective flying body.